1UP's Favorite Games of 2012: Dust: An Elysian Tale

1up.com: Initially, I didn't think much of Dust: An Elysian Tale. Marty reviewed it for 1UP during the summer, and I recall briefly looking at a few screenshots before I quickly moved on. As someone who appreciates classic 2D platformers like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Super Metroid, I made a huge mistake writing off Dust. It draws inspiration from dozens of games I enjoy and implements a tons of ideas into a surprisingly cohesive whole.